


Amaranthus

by jbkb



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-22 15:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21079067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jbkb/pseuds/jbkb
Summary: Jongin thinks that his soulmate might be a florist.





	Amaranthus

It’s hard for Jongin to find a florist that doesn’t immediately greet him right as he enters. He only ever gets to speak first if he catches them off-guard while they’re in the back watering flowers or something. It has become somewhat of a routine for him to try to ambush poor, unsuspecting florists in an attempt to find his soulmate. 

He’s in luck today, he had just slipped in to a newly-opened flower shop right after his only class for the day. There was no bell at the door, but there was a service bell to ring at the counter. He ignores it and walks over to the first flower he recognizes, a white daffodil. He waits for a few seconds before a middle-aged woman appears from the back. “Um... Is this a white daffodil?” he says before he loses his courage.

“Oh! Sorry I didn’t notice you come in. Yes these are white daffodils.” The woman smiles amicably. She seems caring and wonderful, but he’s glad she’s not his soulmate. He was hoping for someone different. He also spots a wedding band on her ring finger. He’s shy enough that he gets a bouquet of a dozen daffodils anyways. 

“Are these for a special someone?” the florist asks as she wraps up his bouquet, first in a layer of beige paper and then with a bow. She seems nosy in the same gossipy, benign way his mother and her friends are.

“I wish.” He really does. The florist eye’s crinkle with an amused smile, but she doesn’t pry. He slides in a little tip for her. Even after googling, he’s not sure if he’s supposed to tip florists. He does it anyway. 

After four years perusing the tattoo on his forearm, Jongin has deduced three things.

One, he must be the first to speak between his soulmate and him. No sane person would greet someone with the words “I grew it for you.” Jongin must say something to warrant this response.

Two, his soulmate must grow things. Things substantial enough for Jongin to comment about upon their first meeting. Everyone grows hair and fingernails, and Jongin doesn’t think he’d be unmannered enough to comment on someone’s appearance without knowing them. His soulmate must be growing something else, like flowers or crops.

Three, the things his soulmate grows must be visible to Jongin when they meet. There aren’t any farms around here, so his soulmate can’t possibly be a farmer. His mother pointed out that his soulmate could grow tomatoes or herbs at home, but why would Jongin just be at his soulmate’s home for their first meeting? It must be flowers. That’s more romantic, and florists are marginally easier to find in the metropolis. Florists don’t just carry flowers around, so he’ll have to go where the flowers are. 

He’s only run into a few male florists, and there aren’t too many flower shops in the city to begin with. His search for love is limited to each time a new flower shop opens. It makes him feel helpless. His mother keeps telling him to stop looking, that fate will run its course whether he meddles or not. He can’t help but want to maximize his chances anyways. 

Jongin takes the bus home with the bouquet in his hands. When he arrives at his apartment, he places the flowers in a vase his sister bought for him years ago when his soul tattoo materialized. He puts them on the coffee table. He’s gained some sort of appreciation for flowers because of his tattoo at the very least. He relishes in the scent of the fresh daffodils. 

He decides to spend the rest of the day molded into the couch trying to half-heartedly do a writing assignment while distractedly watching baking shows on Netflix. The front door opens while he’s in the middle of a soulmate special episode of Sugar Rush. He waves hi at Taemin without looking up. 

“Hey. So did you go to the new florist?”

“Yea.” He pauses for a few seconds. “It wasn’t my soulmate.”

“Were they hot at least?” Taemin has his priorities. He locks the door and takes off his shoes.

“She was a sweet married woman, probably in her forties.”

“Don’t be ageist. Or married-ist. She can still be hot” Taemin walks to his room, probably to change. Jongin focuses his attention back on his baking show.

“Do you wanna go see a movie tonight? Around nine or so?” Taemin calls out. “Chanyeol invited us. He’s bringing Kyungsoo and another friend.” 

“What movie?” Jongin calls back. It’s half-price Tuesday. He’s tempted. 

“The new Zombieland movie? I don’t remember but I think we’re deciding there.”

“I haven’t seen the first one, but I’ll go,” he says. He’ll ask the others to fill him in. He doesn’t want to do school work, might as well do something. 

As he walks towards the front of the theatre with Taemin, Jongin can see that Chanyeol is already outside of it with Kyungsoo. From this far away, they seem to be bickering good-naturedly about something. Kyungsoo japs Chanyeol’s arm and Chanyeol whines loudly in return. Even though Kyungsoo is more quiet and sometimes pretends to be angry at Chanyeol, Jongin can see how infatuated they are with one other. They had only found each other a few months ago. 

When they’re in close proximity, Jongin can see there’s someone hidden behind Chanyeol’s tall figure. The trio spot them and turn. “Hey,” Taemin says. “Should we go in in?”

“Yea!” Chanyeol responds. He moves a little to uncover the shorter man behind him. “This is Baekhyun. Baekhyun, this is Taemin and Jongin.” Chanyeol gestures towards each of them.

Jongin isn’t unmannered. His parents taught him better, but he can’t help but let the words slip out of his mouth when his eyes snap up almost magnetically to Baekhyun’s hair.

“You have a mullet.” Jongin blurts. He can just make out the back of it from this angle.

Baekhyun’s eyes widen and his small mouth curves up into a blinding smile. He averts his gaze downwards for a second before looking right at Jongin. He looks too pleased when he replies, “I grew it for you.”

Jongin’s heart almost beats out of his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea has been just marinating in my head for so long. I love it so much. I hope I'm doing it justice. Sorry for being obsessed with Baekhyun's mullet. Let me know if you like this! :3
> 
> I wrote this in a couple hours even though I have a midterm next week... Oh well.


End file.
